Eliza And Martin Carthy - Bonny Moorhen lyrics

Hey, lads of Weardale I pray lend an ear
 An account of the battle you quickly shall hear
 Fought by the miners of Weardale, you ken
 Claiming their right to the Bonny Moorhen Now this Bonny Moorhen, as she plainly appeared
 Belonged to the miners some hundreds of years
 The miners of Weardale they're all gallant men
 They'll fight till they die for their Bonny Moorhen Now the miners in Weardale, they're bred to the game
 Level their piece and make sure of their aim
 When the Bonny Moorhen she mounts up in the air
 They will bring her down neatly, I vow and declare Now, times being hard, provisions being dear
 The miners were starving almost, we do hear
 They'd nought to depend on, so well you may ken
 But to make what they could of their bonny moorhen But the fat man of Auckland and Durham the same
 Laid claim to the moor and likewise to the game
 Sent word to the miners they'd have 'em to ken
 They would stop them from shooting the bonny moorhen Now these word was carried to Weardale with speed
 It made those poor miners to hang down their heads
 Sent them an answer they'd have 'em to ken
 They would fight till they die for their Bonny Moorhen When this word it reached all those gentlemen's ears
 An army was risen, this quickly appears
 Land stewards, bum bailiffs, and gamekeepers too
 Were all ordered to Weardale to fight their way through Now a captain was wanted at the head of the clan
 H. Wye of great Auckland, was choosed for the man
 His legs were too short and not fit for the stocks
 And his head not so hard for to suffer the knocks This captain he had an attack dog of his own
 Taught by her master, was very well known
 Either beggars or tinkers, she'll pull off their bags
 And if that would not do she would rive 'em to rags Now this army set out straight away as we hear
 H. Wye in the front, attack dog in the rear
 They marched on to Wolsingham, then they made a halt Concerning the battle began to consult For they heard that the miners' grand army was strong
 And the captain that led them was full six foot long
 That put H. Wye in a bodily fear
 And back to great Auckland he wished for to steer Up spake the gamekeepers: “Cheer up, never fear
 Through Stanhope, through Weardale the way we will clear
 In Durham or Auckland we'll never have said
 That by a few miners our army was beat" Now this battle was fought, fought in Stanhope town
 Where the chimneys did reek and the soot it fell down
 Such a battle was never fought in Stanhope before
 And I hope such a battle will never be fought more For they unhorsed the riders straightway on the plain
 H. Wye and his attack dog in the battle was slain
 Them that ran fastest got pushed out the town
 And away they went home with their tails hanging down Now the Bonny Moorhen, she's got feathers anew
 Many fine colours, and none of them blue
 The miners of Weardale, they're all gallant men
 They'll fight till they die for their bonny moorhen